To provide updates on regional initiatives and strategically plan for enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency, and reach of Agricultural Extension Services, the Extension Service Provider (ESP) Council Meeting was conducted at Vencio’s Garden Hotel and Restaurant, Brgy. Tawiran, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro on September 27, 2024.
The meeting centered on addressing agricultural priorities such as this year’s allocation of funds to various ESPs, specifically Farmteach Inc. and Mary Help of Christians School (Mindoro) Inc., which received training grants of ₱500,000.00 and ₱250,000.00, respectively. The members also scheduled a performance audit for Farmteach Inc. on October 27-29, 2024, to be conducted by Mr. Reymundo Dimasacat, Dr. Wyndell Gaspan, Arch. Francis Neil Quijano, Dr. Lourdes Icalla, and Dr. Marcela Icalla.
Another highlight of the meeting was the agreement on the submission of a 3-year development plan by the ESPs, covering all the aspects, including capacity-building initiatives and training programs to identify the sources of funding for their proposals.
During the meeting, Arch. Quijano also emphasized the need to focus on improving infrastructure as part of the extension programs to increase the farms productivity and efficiency. Meanwhile, Dr. Icalla proposed expanding the scope of future programs to include ESPs such as DMDC Farm, Dos Four Dos Integrated Farm, and Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) Associations in Occidental Mindoro.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to submit recommendations for advancing ESP initiatives. They also discussed establishing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in MIMAROPA and the UAP Mindoro Chapter, which will offer farmers free consultations on master planning and infrastructure development through training for LSA/ESP initiatives.
